Two Worlds
by TodaMarikosan
Summary: The son of Jake and Neytiri meets a girl and they fall in love. One problem: this girl holds great power and there are humans willing to obtain her at any cost. More details inside. Rated M for future chapters. OC pairings, plus a little JakeXNeytiri.
1. That Fateful Day

**Two Worlds **by TodaMarikosan

**SUMMARY:**Ever wondered how Grace and the other scientists found out that human DNA was compatible with Na'vi DNA? Well, here's an answer I came up with. The 18-year old son of Jake Sully and Neytiri meets a girl in the forest and they fall in love. There's just one problem. This girl holds great power and there are those in the human world who will stop at nothing to obtain her. Can Jake's son protect the girl he loves, or will Pandora be pulled into another war with the humans?

**DISCLAIMER:** The story and characters of the original _Avatar_ belong to James Cameron. I take artistic license only for the characters and events that I have created for this story. I receive no monetary gains from this story.

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Chapter One: That Fateful Day

It happened soon after he began his 18th year.

He was born to Neytiri, daughter of the late _eyktan_, and Jake Sully, current _eyktan_ and the hero _Toruk Mak'tao_. His parents rejoiced at his birth and gave him the name Ma'kel. By the time he could walk, it was clear that while his appearance resembled that of his father's unnaturally made body, he had also inherited his mother's grace and awareness of the world around him. His childhood days were spent learning the ways of the Omaticaya, as well as the language of the Tawtute.

These days, Ma'kel was working towards the day when he would choose his own _ikran_and truly become one of the tribe. All the eligible females were showering him with attention, but he paid them no mind. Now, it wasn't that he had no interest in finding a mate; on the contrary, Ma'kel had seen the happiness his parents shared together, and he hoped to find a mate with whom he could share that same happiness. The only problem was that while there were many attractive unmated females, several of whom had been his friends since childhood, none of them stirred his heart the way he thought a mate should. Little did he know that his life as he knew it was about to change forever.

* * *

The day began much like any other. Ma'kel awoke at the break of dawn, gathered his things, and headed to the base of the Hometree to eat with his parents. As they ate fresh fruit and meat left over from last night's meal, Jake turned to his son and asked, "What do you plan to do today Ma'kel?" The young Na'vi looked up from his food, shrugged his shoulders, and answered, "I was thinking of scouting out some potential new hunting grounds north of the Hometree; the herds in our current grounds seem to be becoming smaller in number." His father nodded. "Very well, but make sure you're back before nightfall. The forest becomes even more dangerous after dark." Ma'kel bowed his head slightly in understanding. His mother, Neytiri, had told him many times the story of how she had met Jake when she saved him from viperdogs.

Having finished his meal, the young Na'vi excused himself and headed to the pen where the direhorses were kept. Unlike his father, who had fallen off many times when he was learning to ride, Ma'kel had turned out to be a natural at riding and handling direhorses. He first started riding during his tenth year; by the time he reached his 15th year, he was joining his father on the regular hunts. Nowadays, he was considered one of the best direhorse riders in the tribe, a title that he didn't like to boast about.

After collecting his weapons and things, Ma'kel mounted his direhorse and rode out to explore the area north of the Hometree. After about an hour of riding at an easy trot, he caught sight of a herd of wild deer-like game. Although this new herd didn't seem any greater in number than the herds in the current hunting grounds, upon closer inspection Ma'kel could see that these beasts were more well-fed than those in the other herds. Making a mental note of the herd's relative location, he continued on in hopes of finding more herds.

He hadn't left the herd very far behind, when he heard a noise, one that sounded like a scream. Bringing his direhorse to a halt, he listened intently, closing his eyes in order to focus his hearing. He had a hunch that whatever made the sound would do so again. He didn't have to wait long. Less than a moment later, he heard a voice, most likely a female's, cry out, "SOMEONE HELP ME!" Turning his direhorse in the direction of the voice, Ma'kel took off at a gallop. He knew that someone was in trouble. He also knew that whoever that someone was, they spoke in the language of the Tawtute instead of the language of the Na'vi.

Within a few minutes, Ma'kel found the source of the scream. A lone figure, wearing a strange garment that covered the body from head to toe, was being chased by a pack of viperdogs. The figure was starting to tire, and the pack was closing in fast. Without hesitation, Ma'kel spurred his direhorse towards the fleeing figure. From a distance, the figure looked like one of the few Tawtute allowed to stay after the war, one that had foolishly gotten lost in the forest alone. However, as he closed the distance between them, Ma'kel realized that this shrouded creature had height nearly equal to his. Also, unlike the Na'vi, who ran with their bodies angled somewhat towards the ground; or the Tawtute, who, his father had said, ran with their bodies almost as straight as a tree trunk, this creature ran with its body bent midway, the head and torso leaning forward, while, what Ma'kel assumed were its arms, stretched out behind it like vines being blown about by strong winds.

Putting those thoughts aside for later, Ma'kel guided his direhorse until he was alongside the cloaked figure. "Grab on!" he shouted in Tawtute, reaching his arm out towards the figure. The creature cocked its head towards his voice, and from within the garment a pale hand reached out and grasped his with a strong grip. Without pausing, Ma'kel pulled the figure up to sit behind him on the direhorse. "Hold tight to me," he instructed in Tawtute. Less than a moment later, he felt strong slender arms wrap around his chest. Spurring his mount on, Ma'kel headed back towards the Hometree**.

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**

**Author's Note: **A horse trotting is much like a human jogging: faster than a walk, but slower than a run. A trot is also very bouncy (at least for the rider).


	2. Strange and Wonderful

Now we get our first look at the stranger. How will Ma'kel react to this new development?

**DISCLAIMER:** The story and characters of the original _Avatar_ belong to James Cameron. I take artistic license only for the characters and events that I have created for this story. I receive no monetary gains from this story.

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Chapter Two: Strange and Wonderful

The ride back to Hometree was, for the most part, quiet. Ma'kel managed to lose the viperdogs by the time he was halfway back to home. Bringing his direhorse to an easier pace, he turned his head to look at his passenger. The head was bowed down and the face hidden; the white knuckled hands on his chest and the tenseness of its body told him that, despite being rescued, the stranger was still very afraid. Putting his hand over that of the stranger's, Ma'kel said in a soothing voice, "You are safe. The danger is past." A moment later, he felt the stranger's tension slowly give way to calmness. Then from within the hood, almost too soft for him to make out, a feminine voice whispered, "Thank you for saving me." Before Ma'kel could respond, some small unseen creature darted between his direhorse's legs, causing the beast to rear up in surprise, knocking its extra passenger to the ground in the process. Sending soothing thoughts to the beast through the bond, while also giving a firm command to stand still and wait for them, Ma'kel dismounted and turned to help his charge, whom he was now certain was female.

He froze before he could take a step. The garment's hood had fallen back; he saw the face clearly. The figure sprawled out on the ground had a face like those of the few Tawtute he had actually met. He had been right; it was female, a girl barely his age. She had hair golden as the sun, skin pale like clouds, and lips that were an even deeper red than his father's _Toruk_. He had expected the girl to have Tawtute features, given her pale hands and her spoken language. What shocked him were her eyes, yellow just like his own, and the long golden braid beneath her hair that was almost identical to his black one. He thought she was beautiful and mysterious all at once.

A groan brought him out of his thoughts; he blinked, then looked at the girl again. She was still on the ground; both her feet were clutched in her hands, and pain was evident on her face. "Are you hurt?" Ma'kel asked, kneeling next to her. She looked at him, then raised a hand for him to look at. The blood on her palm told him everything. This girl had run so long and hard that her feet were now bleeding. "What is your name?" Ma'kel asked. "Meira," the girl answered. "I am Ma'kel, son of Jake Sully and Neytiri. I will not harm you. Come with me to Hometree. The Omaticaya do not turn away those in need of help," he said. "Come, my mother will tend to your wounds, and my father will want to learn more about you." Meira considered this for a minute, then took Ma'kel's outstretched hand with a nod. He helped her to her feet, then frowned when he saw her wince on the first step. Shrugging, he picked her up bridal-style in one swift motion, paying little heed to her startled gasp. He put her side-saddle on his direhorse's back, then swung up behind her. After reconnecting the bond, he glanced around to check his bearings, then urged his direhorse back towards Hometree.

"How far is your home?" Meira asked. "Not very far from here," Ma'kel answered. "Why do you ask?" Meira gestured with her hand. "The sun is going down." He nodded in understanding. He urged his direhorse faster; he didn't want to be caught out in the forest after dark either.

* * *

**AN: **Now we've met Meira. But now the question is: Who is she, and where did she come from?


	3. Questions and Answers

Now we'll find out more about this strange girl.

**DISCLAIMER:** The story and characters of the original _Avatar_ belong to James Cameron. I take artistic license only for the characters and events that I have created for this story. I receive no monetary gains from this story.

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Chapter Three: Questions and Answers

Twilight had started to settle by the time Ma'kel returned to the Hometree. A quick look around revealed no one outside of the tree. _Probably all sitting down to feast on today's hunt,_ he thought. _That's good; I can slip Meira inside without much fuss_. Said girl had probably been thinking along the same lines, as she pulled up her hood to hide her face and hair. Peeking around a tree root, he could see no one around the direhorse pen. Moving quietly, he directed his direhorse into the pen. He disconnected his braid and slid to the ground. He heard Meira gasp as he turned to her. Following her gaze, he saw what had startled her. There behind him was his father, with a stern expression on his face. _Should have known this was coming_, Ma'kel thought as he faced his father. "Ma'kel, didn't I tell you to be back before dark?" Jake asked. The boy nodded. "So why are you only getting back when the feast is almost over?" his father demanded. Ma'kel opened his mouth to speak, but Meira beat him to it. "I am to blame for that. I was being chased by a rather persistent pack of _nantang_, and Ma'kel rescued me from harm without hesitation. If you must punish someone, then punish me for the stupidity of catching the _nantang's_ attention."

Ma'kel looked over his shoulder. Meira had slid down from the direhorse by herself and was now limping towards him and his father. She was only a few steps away from him when her legs gave way and she fell forward. Ma'kel closed the distance and caught her before she hit the ground. "Thank you," she whispered. "Are you all right?" he asked. "Just tired," she answered, "All that running wore me out more than I thought." Ma'kel nodded. Draping one of her arms behind his neck, he then wrapped his own arm around her waist for support as he helped her to stand up again. In doing so, his nose picked up the scent of her hair. She smelled of fragrant flowers combined with subtle tones of fresh fruit. _She smells as good as she looks_, Ma'kel thought.

The sound of his father's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Ma'kel, who is this girl?" his father asked. "Her name is Meira," Ma'kel answered. "I saw her being chased by _nantang_ while I was scouting for new hunting grounds. I helped her escape, but found that she had been hurt in the chase. I brought her with me to see if Mother could help her." Jake Sully raised an eyebrow at this. "Why does she hide inside that garment?" he inquired. This time Meira answered, her voice tinged with aggravation. "Normally I'd tell you to keep those kinds of questions to yourself, Jake Sully," she retorted. "However, right now I'm exhausted and in too much pain to debate about your manners." Both males looked at her: Ma'kel in shock because Meira had just spoken to his father like she was his equal; Jake puzzled because there was something vaguely familiar about the way this girl spoke.

Unnerved by their stares, Meira cleared her throat. "If you two are done gaping at me like codfish," both men closed their mouths, "perhaps we should get going?" Jake nodded and walked over to help her and Ma'kel. Together, the two males were able to get her to Jake and Neytiri's alcove without being noticed. Jake left to get Neytiri, while Ma'kel tried to make Meira comfortable. As soon as his father left, he turned to her and whispered, "What is that thing next to your back?" He had felt something strange when he grabbed her waist. "Perhaps when we are alone," she whispered back, glancing at the entrance. Less than a moment later, Jake returned with his mate Neytiri, followed by Mo'at, her mother. Even though the elder Na'vi had abdicated the role of _Tsahik_ to her daughter, many in the tribe still looked to her for wisdom and guidance.

The three of them sat down in front of Ma'kel and Meira. Neytiri spoke first. "So you are the stranger that my son rescued. Why do you not show us your face?" The girl turned her head ever so slightly towards the entrance and replied, "Because that is best done away from the eyes of others." Neytiri nodded once, then looked at her mate and son. The two males rose and each walked to one side of the entrance. A rustling sound was heard, and then vines appeared from both sides, coming together in the center to form a living green curtain. "When the vines are left to hang, no one may enter this place without making known their intentions," Neytiri explained. Once the males were seated, Meira took a deep breath, brought her hands up to her head, and pulled back the hood. She had closed her eyes, so she did not see their shocked expressions; she only heard their gasps. Once she thought that their initial shock was over, she slowly opened her eyes, revealing her yellow irises. Then she slid a hand back and lifted the rest of the hair out of the hood, releasing the braid.

The reaction was mixed. Neytiri and Mo'at were completely shocked. Jake looked like he was studying her. Ma'kel kept a straight face, since he already knew her appearance. Becoming uncomfortable with their looks, Meira tried to scoot back a little. Unfortunately, having momentarily forgotten about her wounds, the moment she put her weight on her feet, pain shot up through both legs, causing her to wince. Her movements brought everyone's mind back to the matter at hand. "You are hurt?" Neytiri asked. "My feet," Meira nodded, pulling the cloak up a little to reveal the bloody appendages. "_Kawng!_ How did this happen?!" Neytiri demanded, moving forward to tend to the girl. "It was my own fault," Meira answered sheepishly. "Normally I can move through the forest without trouble, but for the last three days I've had the feeling that I'm being watched. Today I was going out to gather fruit for my meal tonight, and I thought I heard someone or something following me. I kept looking over my shoulder instead of looking where I was going, and, like a complete _skxawng_, I tripped over a tree root and stumbled into a pack of _nantang_. I took off running as fast as I could, with the pack right behind me. I tried to lose them, but these _nantang_ just would not give up. I kept running until my feet bled and my body began to tire. The scent of blood made the pack bold, and one _nantang_ tried to pounce on me, causing me to scream in shock."

Meira paused, took a deep breath, then, glancing towards Ma'kel, continued her story. "Ma'kel appeared shortly after that. I guess he heard my scream. He rode up beside me on his _pa'li_ and pulled me to safety. He managed to lose the pack, and then he slowed down to give me a chance to calm myself. Something startled his mount and I was knocked to the ground, which revealed my face." She then looked down at the floor. "Despite that, Ma'kel still asked if I was all right. When he saw that I was injured, he offered to bring me here so that I could have my wounds treated. I accepted, and we arrived just after the sun had set. There was no one in sight, so we tried to come in quietly, but Jake was waiting in the shadows for Ma'kel. As for the rest, I'm sure Jake has already told you what happened up until he and Ma'kel brought me to this alcove," she finished.

Meira looked at the others. Neytiri had continued to tend to the girl's feet, but she knew she was listening by the occasional twitch of her ears. Mo'at and Jake had listened intently, and were now deep in thought. Ma'kel had not moved, except to nod once when she mentioned his involvement. It was Jake who finally broke the silence. "What are you Meira, and where do you come from?" he asked. Meira sighed; she'd known this was coming. Settling into a more comfortable position, she took a deep breath and began to tell her story.

"I presume you all know how the dreamwalkers were created by mixing Na'vi blood with Tawtute blood." They all nodded. "What you probably don't know is that before the dreamwalkers, the Tawtute tried a somewhat different approach. What they did was they attempted to find out if the Na'vi and Tawtute were compatible with each other by trying to unnaturally conceive a new life from a Na'vi male and a Tawtute female. Simply put, they wanted to see if Na'vi and Tawtute could create children together." A collective gasp rose from her audience; Meira continued. "While I don't know all the details," she added, "what I do know is that out of nine attempts, three for each Tawtute skin color, only those from pale-skinned Tawtute were conceived successfully. The result was three half-blood children: two males and one female. I am that female."

"So that's why you have the traits of both races," Jake sighed. "What happened after conception?" "We were kept inside the unnatural wombs until they thought we had grown enough to survive outside of the wombs," Meira replied. "After our so-called 'births', we were each raised by our respective Tawtute mothers. My mother was Dr. Grace Augustine." Jake's eyes went wide; he had been friends with Grace when he was in the Avatar project. He knew she had started the project, but she had never said anything about being a mother. "I knew your mother," he said. "I was with her when she… went to meet Eywa. She never said a single word about this to me." Meira shifted her gaze downward. "There's a reason why she couldn't tell you," she replied. "After we were old enough to do things for ourselves, like walk and eat, the RDA ordered that we be put through a series of tests to see how we would react to different situations. Sometimes we had to find food or water without any aid; other times we had to make our way through different kinds of land within a set amount of time, using only a knife, less than a meal's worth of food, and less than a day's worth of water. If we failed, we would be cast out of Hell's Gate and left to fend for ourselves in the forest."

Meira paused and looked at her audience. Neytiri and Mo'at both wore horrified expressions. Jake's face was one of cold rage kept under control by years of training and experience. Ma'kel's face wore a neutral expression, but she could tell that he was mulling over her words. She took another deep breath and continued her story. "To ensure that didn't happen, my brothers and I secretly worked together to make sure we passed each test." She saw Jake raise an eyebrow. "Though we were not related by blood, the three of us treated each other like siblings. Jason was the oldest; he had red hair and an uncanny skill for building things. Michael was next; he had black hair and a rare way with animals. I was born last; I found that I could somehow sense the intent of those around me, be they Tawtute, Na'vi or beast. That's why I came here with Ma'kel, because I sensed that his intentions were true." She glanced at Ma'kel; he had a sheepish grin on his face. She flashed him a brief smile before continuing. "Between the three of us, we were able to pass every test. All was well, until that final day…"

* * *

Sorry this took so long! Between dentist appointments and catching up on missed class lectures, I've been really busy. Sorry to end this chapter with a cliffhanger, but I hoped it answered some of your questions about Meira. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can.


	4. Blood for Blood pt1

This chapter will alternate between flashbacks in present tense (like live sports commentary), and the regular storyline in past tense. Sorry it took so long to get it up, but between issues with school and health, and actually drafting this long chapter, I had my hands full. Hopefully, you won't be disappointed.

**DISCLAIMER:** The story and characters of the original _Avatar_ belong to James Cameron. I take artistic license only for the characters and events that I have created for this story. I receive no monetary gains from this story.

Chapter Four: Blood for Blood, part One

A dead silence fell over the group. The Na'vi sat quietly, waiting for Meira to continue. Said girl was looking down at the floor, wringing her hands as if unsure how to proceed. After about a minute, she took a deep breath, lifted her gaze, and began to tell the story.

"It was almost two years before the great battle for Pandora. The RDA said they had a new test for us: one that would test our levels of ability to fight both with and without weapons. We had learned some unarmed combat techniques from the more tolerant soldiers and Samson pilots. One of them was a woman called Trudy." Meira saw sadness flash briefly in Jake's eyes; Trudy had been one of the Tawtute who had died fighting for the Na'vi, and a close friend to Jake. "When it came to weapons, however, the only knowledge we had was what we had read about in books. We were presented with many different types of weapons, and each of us were told to choose the one that we felt best suited us. Michael chose a spear; Jason chose a quarterstaff; I chose a blade. We were then separated and each made to fight one-on-one with numerous opponents, each fighter stronger than the last. Somehow, all three of us were able to win every fight. The next day, we were called together in one of the training rooms. We were then ordered to fight each other; the winner would lead the other two in a mission to speak with the Omaticaya, or so we were told. What happened next was something I've never been able to forget…"

**- Flashback-**

The fight begins with the girl and the younger boy; the older boy watches from the side. The black-haired boy makes rapid strikes at the girl; she blocks most with her blade, but three connect: one on the left arm; another on the right leg; the last leaves a shallow gash on her left ribcage. The girl is backed against a wall and the boy tries for a final strike. At the last moment, the girl knocks the spear upward with her blade, while at the same time crouching down and slamming a fist into her opponent's solar plexus. The boy collapses to the floor, the blow having forced all the air out of his lungs. The red-haired boy declares the girl as the winner, picks up the younger boy, carries him over and leans him against the wall.

Now the fight between the girl and the older boy begins. Unlike the first boy, this fighter doesn't go all-out from the start; he bides his time, blocking her attacks with his staff and returning with a few of his own, betting on his opponent's injuries and exhaustion. When the girl begins to tire, the boy's attacks become fiercer, causing her to go on the defensive. One of the attacks slips through and connects with her injured arm, the pain causing her to drop her weapon. The girl is backed into a corner, her blade barely a few meters behind her opponent. The boy brings his staff down on the girl, confident that he can win with a blow to the head. Less than a second before the staff connects with the girl's head, she drops to the floor on her back and, using her arms to push off from the walls, slides between the boy's legs, stopping less than a meter from her weapon. By the time the boy realizes what happened, she has her blade and is taking the offensive. He lunges at her, aiming for the wound in her ribcage. She side-steps the attack, grasps the staff, and wrenches it out of the boy's hands. Pushing her advantage, the girl strikes out, tackles the boy to the floor, and brings the blade to his neck. Realizing that he can't win, the boy concedes defeat. The girl smiles, rises to her feet, and then helps the boy up. By now the younger boy has woken up, and both boys congratulate the girl.

**-End Flashback-**

Meira paused and took a deep breath. Everyone waited anxiously for her to continue. "As you just heard," she said, "my win against Michael was a simple matter of patience; my defeat of Jason, however, was sheer luck." Jake's eyebrows went up; Meira explained. "My ability to sense intent gave me little assistance in that situation. I could sense their overall intentions, but not what methods they would use to achieve them." She waited for Jake to nod before continuing. "Having beaten both of them, we thought the fight was over; in truth, it was only beginning…"

**-Flashback-**

Two humans enter the training room: Selfridge, the RDA man in charge of Hell's Gate; and Quaritch, the former colonel, in charge of all the mercenaries and ex-military personnel. Quaritch speaks first. "Well done, little missy. I've seen a lot of female fighters in my time, but I've never seen one become so skilled with a weapon after only two days of learning. Talent like yours would turn the tide of any battle." The praise does not make Meira happy. "With respect, Colonel, while I appreciate your praise, I would prefer, in the future, not to fight in pointless battles. I fight only against those who have wronged me, and I do not kill without cause," she replies, sheathing her blade. Jason and Michael nod in agreement, having picked up their own weapons.

Selfridge gives out an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, whatever. Look, you won, so you lead the mission. You'll be briefed in the hanger in one hour. Don't be late!" The three half-bloods begin to leave. "Just a minute, little missy," Quaritch calls out, "There are things we need to discuss with you alone." "Can it not wait until my brothers are seen to?" she sighs, "They are both in need of bandages and medicine." What she says is true: Michael has a broken rib, while Jason has numerous cuts from his fight with Meira. Quaritch smirks at her. "Now don't you worry your pretty little head about that. These boys will be taken care of." Quaritch shouts a command, and suddenly a squad of his men march into the room, wearing exopacks and carrying rifles. The men form two groups behind Jason and Michael. Meira looks at the Colonel with suspicion. "Why are these men here?" she asks. "They're going to escort your 'brothers' to the medical area, just to make sure they don't run into any trouble on the way there," Quaritch answers. Meira shakes her head. "You're a lousy actor, Colonel," she replies. "Even if I didn't have the ability to sense intent, I could still tell that you're lying. First, the speed of the squad's response shows that you already had them standing by when you came in here. Second, exopacks aren't needed to visit the medical area because it's indoors. Third, unless some _skxawng_ let in a predator, there should be no need to carry loaded weapons inside the base. And lastly, if this was really about having our injuries treated, you would have all three of us checked out at the same time instead of separately," she finishes, moving closer to her brothers. "Oh, and one more thing," she adds, "if this was really about choosing a leader, you would have told us face-to-face rather than have our mothers act as your messengers."

Quaritch's smirk has become a frown. Every reason the girl states irks him even more. Her eyes grow wide as she realizes something. "This was never about leading a mission, was it? What you really wanted was to see which of us was the best fighter, didn't you?" She backs up against her brothers. The boys lock eyes for a moment. Michael nods slightly, and Jason takes something out of a pouch hidden behind his back. Meira gives Quaritch a level glare. "What's really going on here Colonel? Don't you dare try to lie to me again!" She grips the handle of her blade to emphasize her words. The soldiers raise their rifles in response. Jason and Michael grip their own weapons firmly.

Quaritch blinks, and then lets out a loud belly laugh. "Looks like the cat's outta the bag! Well, might as well tell you the truth; won't make much difference anyway. We never had any intention of letting you meet the Na'vi. That's going to be left up to the Avatars. You three were just the results of the experiments to see if making the Avatars was even possible. If it were up to me, I'd be satisfied with just that, but the company wants to see an actual return on their investment. They told us to either find a use for you, or dispose of all three of you. So I came up with an idea. We'd trick you into fighting each other over something, set aside the winner, and leave the losers to fend for themselves in the forest. The winner would be used as a prototype for genetically-engineered half-breed fighters to be used if the avatars fail to convince the Na'vi to relocate."

Meira looks at Quaritch as if he's grown another head. "That's the most ludicrous idea I've ever heard!" she shouts. "That's because kids like you can't understand the true genius behind it," Quaritch replies. "In a fight between a human and a Na'vi, the human's smaller size and inability to breathe the planet's air put him at a great disadvantage; superior weaponry is his only trump card. However, a half-breed has better weapons, height nearly equal to the Na'vi, and the ability to breathe without an exopack. That makes them more powerful than the Na'vi. Such soldiers would turn the tide of any battle in our favor." Meira shakes her head. "That's not what I meant, Quaritch. What's ludicrous is that you thought that any of us would actually go along with this scheme. We may be children of two worlds, but that doesn't mean we have to choose between one or the other. We will never help you wage war with the Na'vi," she states, Michael and Jason nodding in agreement.

"I never planned on asking you for your cooperation," Quaritch chuckles. "We were going to put you into a vegetative state and use your body as source material for creating genetically-altered clones, ones without emotions or a sense of morality." "And just how did you expect to keep this from our mothers?" Meira retorts. "They'd start sniffing around in a heartbeat if we didn't return." "We'd just tell them that you were victims of a thanator," Quaritch replies coyly. "If they didn't believe us, we'd show them some of your clothes, torn and bloodied." Meira snorts at this. "Pardon my Japanese, Colonel, but I have to say, you've got to be the biggest _baka_ I've ever met. You're a battle-hungry mercenary who cares about nothing except fighting. Its mad dogs like you that give humanity a bad name. We would sooner die than help you. Right, brothers?" Both boys nod.

Quaritch sighs, "Then I'm sorry it has to be like this." He raises his hand, and the soldiers aim their weapons at the children. Before the Colonel can give the order, the boys take action. Jason activates the homemade smoke bomb he's been hiding behind his back; the room fills with smoke. The children take advantage of the confusion and escape into the hall. They sprint back to the research area, searching for their mothers. They find Grace in the link room, about to link up with her Avatar. Meira and the boys quickly explain the situation, and Grace immediately takes control. She tells them to take as much of the bare necessities as they can carry in cloth sling bags, like food, bandages, and so on. She instructs them to go outside using the airlock for the avatar caretakers; she will meet up with them in her Avatar. They rush to their rooms and grab as much as they can. They regroup and head for the airlock. Once outside, they meet up with Grace, who leads them to a secluded area of the yard. She pushes aside a mass of vines, revealing an old gate that is too short for an Avatar. "This was part of the original base camp of the first exploration team," Grace explains. "Most of it was torn down to build Hell's Gate, but a few remnants like this were overlooked. You can escape into the forest from here. Seek shelter with the _Omaticaya_; tell them I sent you. You know the general direction of their village; stick together and don't stop until nightfall. If you must rest, climb up into the trees, where the predators can't reach you. I'll come and find you as soon as I can." She takes out an old key, unlocks the gate, and ushers the children through. Before Meira passes through, she looks at her mother and whispers, "Do you know if the 'others' are still out there?" Grace nods. "Yes, and their numbers have increased greatly. If you find them, don't hesitate to earn their trust." Meira rushes to catch up with her brothers. Before disappearing into the forest, she takes one last look back at Hell's Gate and whispers, "…Goodbye, Mother…"

**-End Flashback-**

Meira paused and took a few breaths. Ma'kel offered her a small cup of water, which she gladly accepted; her mouth and throat were dry from talking so long. Once she finished drinking, she turned her attention to Jake and the others. "Now you understand why Grace didn't tell you anything about me or my brothers," she stated. "The only other person who knew where we had gone was Max Patel, because he and Grace were doing some work together in the link room. Grace made him promise not to breathe a word about it to anyone, not even the other scientists. I'm sure that Quaritch questioned both of them, but my mother was not a woman who gave in to pressure," she smiled slightly, and then looked at Jake. "From your expression, I would say that you're not surprised by Quaritch's behavior." Jake nodded. "The Colonel was not above using a person's weakness or desires to get what he wanted; I learned that the hard way." She nodded slightly, then continued her story.

"When we left the base, the sun was already low in the sky. We barely travelled two hours before twilight forced us to stop. We followed Mother's advice and spent the night in the trees, though I doubt Jason was able to get any real rest, being up so high." Neytiri and Mo'at looked at her questioningly; she explained. "When Jason was small, he tried to climb one of the trees in the yard, but he fell and broke his arm. His arm healed, but the ordeal left him with a fear of high places." The Na'vi females pondered this for a moment, then nodded for the girl to continue. "The night passed without incident, and in the morning we ate a little food and then set out to find the Na'vi. When the sun reached high noon, we stopped in a clearing to eat a small meal. I started to get a bad feeling as we resumed our journey. We managed to travel another hour before all hell broke loose…"

**-Flashback-**

The three children walk quickly through the forest. The two boys are in front, weapons in hand, watching for danger. The girl flanks them, blade out, looking over her shoulder constantly. She has a troubled look on her face. Suddenly the red-haired boy stops; the others do the same. He puts a hand to his ear, listening for the sound again. Then they hear it, the sound of spinning blades; a Samson is coming. The children run for cover. They hide beneath a patch of red spiral plants until the sound fades away. They start running, not wanting to be seen. They come to another clearing. Jason stops the group again and turns his head towards the sky, looking and listening for anymore aircraft. After a minute, he turns to the others and nods. The children rush into the clearing; Meira still looks troubled. Just as they reach the center, her eyes go wide and she shouts, "It's a trap!", but it's too late. AMP suits and armed men wearing exopacks jump out of the trees ahead. The children try a different direction, but find they are surrounded. They position themselves in the center of the clearing, backs together. "How'd they find us?" Michael asks. "I don't know," Jason replies, "I'm sure that Samson didn't see us." "They tracked us somehow!" Meira hisses.

"Right again, little missy!" The children turn towards the voice. Quaritch, smiling, materializes out of the forest, holding up a small electronic device. The device's screen shows three blinking dots close together; Jason's eyes grow wide with realization. "Tracers!" he blurts out. "Bingo," Quaritch sneers. "Because you were so expensive to the company, the three of you each had a special device implanted in your right shoulder. It lets us monitor your life signs and brain waves, along with a tracer to make sure you didn't get lost. Once Selfridge finally got the signal codes, finding you was a piece of cake." The children are shocked; Quaritch chuckles. "Of course, we never planned to tell you about it; even your own mothers don't know. The devices were implanted in secret while you three were being grown in the tanks. All signs of the procedure were fully healed by the time they let you out." Meira glares at Quaritch. "It doesn't matter, Colonel. In order to clone any of us, you need us alive, and we would sooner swallow our own tongues than become tools for your warmongering. Right, brothers?" "Right!" the boys answer in unison. The children draw their weapons and move closer until their shoulders touch. Hidden behind their backs, the three braids connect together, allowing them to share their thoughts. 'Michael, in my pouch there are two high-powered grenades taped together,' Jason says mentally. 'When I move to draw their fire, pull the pins and throw it at the soldiers to the north. Once it explodes, sprint through the opening and get Meira out of here!' 'Absolutely not!' Meira replies, 'I'm not letting you throw yourself to the wolves just for me! We stick together through thick and thin, remember?' Jason gives a mental sigh. 'I'm sorry, little sister, but I'm afraid I can't keep that promise any longer. However, if I am to meet Eywa today, at the very least, I want my death to accomplish something.' 'But Brother…' Meira tries to retort, but Jason cuts her off. 'You both know I was born with a frail heart. I can tell when it's strained, and the events of yesterday and today have pushed it to its limit. Please, little sister, grant me this last wish.' The young girl is on the verge of sobbing; the braids disconnect.

At the same time, Quaritch gives his men the order to advance. Once the troops have gone five paces, the boys put their plan into action. Jason charges the units closest to him; Michael uses the distraction to throw the grenades. The explosion blasts a ten meter-wide gap through the troops. He and Meira dash through the smoke and confusion into the forest. She turns her head in time to see Jason fall to the ground as he is hit by multiple shots. "BROTHER!" she screams; the two children run further into the woods. Michael lets out a shrill whistle; a new creature jumps out of the brush. It is another human creation, the result of experiments combining Earth horses with Pandoran direhorses. The creature has the physical appearance of an Earth horse, but also possesses the direhorse's size, strength and _tsaheylu_. Michael connects his braid to the antenna hidden beneath the horse's mane, and then lifts Meira up onto the horse's back. He jumps up behind her, and they gallop into the trees. They ride for about an hour, and then stop to let the horse rest. The two dismount and sit beside a tree. Michael starts a small fire, takes out his knife, and then tells Meira to take off her shirt; she looks at him in shock. "We have to get that tracer out of your shoulder," he explains, "and there's only one way to do that." She grimaces, but does as she's told. He gives her a length of wood to bite on, then holds the knife in the fire for a few seconds while feeling her shoulder for the tracer with his hand. Finding it, he takes the sterile knife and makes a horizontal cut over the area. Holding the wound open, he digs the tracer out with the knifepoint, and then throws the device into the fire, where it melts in the heat.

Michael takes a first-aid kit out of his bag, and with gentle hands cleans and bandages the girl's wound. He then reheats the knife and removes the tracer in his shoulder as well, destroying it just like Meira's. Before he can bandage his wound, Meira jerks her head up with a gasp. "Brother," she says, "I feel a murderous intent approaching, tainting the air with the scent of blood." The boy nods. "The colonel is having to change his game plan. He was able to ambush us the first time because of the tracers; he can't do that again now that we've taken ours out. He's probably heading this way, following the last confirmed signals." Michael thinks for a moment, and then he stands up. "In that case, we need to change our tactics too," he says, lifting Meira to her feet. "Hold still," he tells her, and then tears off the bottom hem of her shirt and wraps it loosely around his bleeding wound. "Brother, what are you…?" the girl stammers, dumbfounded. "I've got an idea," he says, "but we'll need the others to make it work." He then twitches his ears. "Ah, here they come now." Meira blinks in confusion, then cocks her head, listening for the sound that Michael hears. Then she hears it, the thunder of hooves moving through the trees. Less than a moment later, out of the brush comes an entire herd of horses like the one the children have been riding. There are horses in many different colors and markings, mostly adults, with a few foals trotting alongside their dams. The herd comes to a stop in front of the two; the children's horse steps forward.

"This is Akuma, the leader of the herd," Michael says, patting the big, black stallion, "and that is his mate, Sundancer," he adds, pointing to a palomino mare; Meira realizes the mare is carrying a foal. "I want you to go with them, and get away from here," Michael says. "Meanwhile, I'll lay a false trail for the colonel to follow. I'll meet up with you once that's done." "But how will you make them follow your trail?" she asks. "Quaritch will know it's a trick when he finds only one set of shoeprints." "I've already thought of that," he smiles, pointing to the torn hem of her shirt wrapped around his wound. "Quaritch doesn't know about the herd; they got loose before he got here, and none of the scientists ever told him about it," he smirks at this. "When he gets here and finds the herd's tracks, he'll think that we ran into a herd of direhorses, you got injured, and now I have to carry you; that's where the shirt hem comes in," he continues. "Quaritch will know it's yours, since you always like to wear blue shirts. Once the blood soaks in, I'll tear this into pieces and snag them onto razorpalms and other sharp plants as I go, making it look like they were torn off as I carried you through the forest." Meira nods in understanding. "Also," Michael adds, "for extra measure, I'll find something to carry that will put more weight into my step and make deeper footprints, just like if I was actually giving you a piggyback." Meira nods again. "I understand," she says, "but please be careful." The boy nods, and then takes off into the bush.

The girl makes her way over to Akuma, connects her braid, and, with a little help from a fallen tree trunk, climbs onto the horse's back. She takes one last glance in the direction that Michael ran, then she looks forward, grasps the stallion's thick black mane, grips him with her knees and gives him the mental go-ahead to move the herd. He paws the ground, lets out a harsh neigh, and then takes off at a gallop with the herd right behind him and Meira holding onto him for dear life.

**-End Flashback-**

Meira stopped, took a breath, and looked at her audience. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we will have to finish the story tomorrow," she said with a sigh. "The night is half gone, and it's becoming a struggle just to keep my eyes open." Jake nodded, and then turned to his son. "Ma'kel, do you still have that spare hammock in your alcove?" he asked; the boy nodded. "Good. I want you to let Meira sleep there tonight; let down the vines so she's not seen. Tomorrow we'll decide how to introduce her to the People, after we've heard the rest of her story, that is," Jake instructed. "In that case," Meira spoke up, "could one of you help me stand up, so I can take off this cloak? I've worn it all day and I need to air it out, otherwise it will start to smell." Ma'kel moved to help her. "Where did you get such strange clothes, and why do you wear them?" Neytiri asked. "I made it from the hides of _yeriks_, which are extremely hard to hunt without bow and arrows," Meira answered. "It helps me blend in with the forest, unlike my pale skin, which is far too easy to spot."

Having been helped to her feet, the girl reached up and untied some strings on the front of the cloak. That done, she then proceeded to pull the garment down and off each shoulder before dropping her arms, letting the cloak pool around her feet. Now everyone could see the rest of her body. She wore a very wide strip of some unknown blue cloth wrapped around her well-developed bust as a top, and a knee-length wraparound skirt of the same material hung from her waist. Her body was cloud pale, like her face, marked only by a horizontal scar on her right shoulder and a leaf-shaped marking on her left shoulder, blue like the Na'vi's skin. A worn, yet sturdy pouch was tied to her waist, and some strange weapon, slender like a staff and longer than her braid, was strapped to her back.

Slowly, she took off the weapon and held it out to Jake with both hands. "For the moment, I think it's best to leave this in your care, _Olo'eyktan_," she said. "I shouldn't use it here, and I don't want it falling into the wrong hands." Jake nodded and took it from her. "What sort of weapon is it?" Neytiri asked. "A very deadly one," Jake answered coldly. He grasped the hilt, and then looked at Meira; she nodded knowingly. "Everyone step back!" he ordered, which they did. He began to slowly remove the weapon from its sheath, pausing when about a hand's width of gleaming metal was revealed. He took a shallow breath, then in one fluid movement pulled the weapon completely from the sheath, revealing it to be a long blade sword. Jake looked it over, noting that it was extremely similar to Japanese samurai swords that he had seen in museums back on Earth: strong enough to slice through bone, yet lightweight and sharp as a razor. "Is this the blade you spoke of?" Jake asked, sheathing the sword; Meira nodded. "Where did you get that mark?" Ma'kel asked, pointing to the blue leaf. "Oh, that? I've always had that. It's a birthmark," she replied. "My brothers had them, too. Jason's was a crescent moon, and Michael's was a paw print."

Having hung the cloak, Ma'kel walked over to Meira, turned around, and then got down on one knee. "My alcove is just a few branches above this one, so it will be easier to climb if you are on my back," he explained. She nodded, then crouched down and put her arms around his neck. He grasped her legs, stood up, and walked to the entrance. Jumping out onto a branch, he quickly made his way up to his alcove. Once inside, he placed the girl in the lower of the two hammocks, and then went to let down the vines at the entrance. Having done that, he came back to see if Meira needed anything, only to find her fast asleep. He closed the opening, and then climbed into his own hammock. He fell asleep, dreaming of the golden-haired girl that slept beneath him.

* * *

Japanese words:  
**Baka**: idiot  
**Akuma**: devil (I may be stretching it a little, but **aku** does mean "evil.")


End file.
